


Magic Heart

by A_McQuin



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-09-24 14:19:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9755912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_McQuin/pseuds/A_McQuin
Summary: Fluff as Cullen and Vita get to know each other.





	1. Chapter 1

Vita had been with the Inquisition for a while now, and she was fitting in perfectly. She lead the team fearlessly and ferociously, and they got the results the Inquisition needed. Not only that, but she was quickly becoming friends with everyone...even Cassandra. That was a miracle in its own right. Cullen couldn't help but admire her. She was strong, tenacious, intelligent, and beautiful. Who couldn't admire that? Cullen turned his thoughts and attention to the new recruits in front of him. As word of the Inquisition spread, more and more young men and women clamored on their doorstep, begging to be involved. People believed in their mission, and by the looks of it, that was going to be half the battle.

Maker, did these new recruits need a lot of training. Not only did they not seem to grasp how to properly use a shield, they were timid. This wasn't even a real battle...and they looked like they were scared for their lives. There was only so much he could yell at them from across the field. Unfortunately, most of the training would come when they were faced with a real opponent. From where he stood on the field, he could see Cassandra standing next to a training dummy with Vita. They looked to be having a light hearted conversation. He heard Vita's light airy laugh, his heart did a flip and an unfamiliar heat settled in the pit of his stomach. How was it a mage could make him feel this way? Cullen couldn't let his focus be clouded by a woman, there was too much at stake. He turned back to the new recruits and yelled more orders at them.

As he continued to bark orders, he felt a small tap on his shoulder. He couldn't help the annoyed look he had as he turned around, but upon seeing Vita standing there, his face immediately softened. She was so beautiful. Her valasin was a pale white, barely visible on her alabaster skin, but it made her light blue eyes somehow seem even brighter than he previously thought possible. When on a quest, she kept her deep brown hair up in braids and a bun, but when she was here at camp she kept it in a loose braid. Small tendrils of hair framed her petite face, and her pointed ears just barely stuck out. Her braid fell delicately between her small shoulders and hit her back just above her tiny, nipped in waist. Vita was petite, like most elves, but still very shapely with hips that were just a bit wider than her shoulders, and long legs that seemed to go on for miles. She was smiling up at him with full lips, as if she knew just how flustered she made him.

Cullen rubbed the back of his neck, "Vita. How can I help you?"

She put her hands on her hips and cocked her head, "I just wanted to chat if you've got a minute."

He looked over to the new recruits, but the other captains had taken over the training, so he did in fact have time to talk with her. Cullen rested his hands on the hilt of his sword and tried to smile down at her, "I do actually. What would you like to talk about?"

  
"Tell me about Templar life."

Cullen looked at her dumbfounded. That's what she wanted to talk about? Templar life? "Uh, well...I'll tell you as much as I can. Ask away."

Vita proceeded to ask her questions about Cullen's time as a Templar. She asked about the daily routine, what exactly it was he was supposed to do in the Circle Tower, and then she got to the vows.

"Are there vows of...celibacy?" Vita's eyes got darker as the last word left her lips.

Cullen coughed at the question, "Why-uh-why do you want to know?"

She smiled at him semi-seductively, "I'm just curious. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Cullen composed himself and answered, "No, it's fine." He laughed and explained that while some Templars chose to take such vows, they are not required by the order.

Vita stepped closer to him, "And have you taken any such vows?"

He could smell her perfume from here. She smelled like wildflowers and wine. Cullen felt his heart do that flip thing again and the heat in his stomach spread down into his pants, "Uh, no...I've taken no such vows." He shifted uncomfortably, "Maker's breath, can we talk about something else?"

She giggled and stepped away, "That's all I wanted to know, actually. Thank you, Commander." With that, she turned and walked away. Cullen released the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, and then she threw a look back at him over her shoulder. Just as quickly as he'd returned to Earth, he was swept away again by that single look from the most beautiful woman he'd ever met.

 

 

 

 

**That's part one! I know it's short, but I'll update more soon. My husband is being kind enough to let me use his laptop because mine took a shit on me. As I mentioned above, any feedback is appreciated. Thanks so much for reading, I'll see you on the next one!**


	2. Vita

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff as Cullen and Vita get to know each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading. From this point on, I will be adding notes to the beginning. Most of the time they will contain all the usual stuff, but every now and then something different might show up.
> 
> **I DO NOT OWN DRAGON AGE OR ITS CHARACTERS**  
> *This is simply a work of fan made fiction. All inspiration for the fic is thanks to Bioware's amazing game and storylines.*
> 
> I will update as frequently as possible. Please leave some feedback if it suits you, otherwise a kudos is perfectly fine as well. :) Also, feel free to share wherever, just please leave me credit somewhere. I work very hard on these characters even outside of writing them, and they are my little babies. 
> 
> Thank you, Loves. Enjoy the journey!
> 
> *Once again, I do not own Dragon Age or its Characters*

They had returned from Redcliffe with the mages in tow. While things hadn't gone  _exactly_ as Vita had planned, they had the mages' alliance and that was the main goal of the mission. Redcliffe had started to return to it's previously peaceful state, and the effects of Alexius' time magic had made it seem like no one could remember the rebellion at all. Vita didn't really know if that was a good or bad thing, but as long as she didn't have to keep fighting apostates and rouge templars every single time she set foot in the Hinterlands, she was satisfied. What she really wanted right now was a stiff drink and a hot bath. She could still feel a layer of grime and grit from the horrible future she and Dorian had been transported to, and needed to get it off her body...the sooner the better. 

She made her way to the small tavern in Haven, and after sitting down and ordering her drink, she noticed Cullen sitting across the bar at a small table. He, of course, had an ale sitting near him, but not any nearer than the maps of the surrounding areas. Grabbing her drink from the bar, she made her way over and quietly sat across from him. He must not have heard her because he didn't look up, and when she did speak to him, he jumped a little bit. 

She muffled her laughter as he looked up, "I'm sorry, Cullen. I didn't mean to scare you."

He chuckled at himself, "No. It's quite alright. I wasn't paying attention and didn't even realize you'd sat down."

Vita silently scanned the table in front of her. It was covered in maps, notes, and correspondence. His mug was still full...he hadn't even taken a drink out of it yet, "Cullen...do you ever stop working?"

His eyes widened at her question, but as he stopped to think about it, the expression softened, "I suppose the only time I do is when I'm sleeping." He chuckled at himself, "to be quite honest, I came here tonight to get my mind off of work and just relax for a change. Varric says I spend too much time with a serious look on my face, and it's 'bad for my health.'" Cullen paused and took a drink of his ale, "old habits die hard, I suppose...I'm sorry if I've worried you in any way."

His eyes looked heavy as they met her's, and Vita felt her breath catch in her throat. She tried to hide her blushing face behind the big mug as she took a drink, but she was pretty sure he saw it anyway. There was no denying how attracted she was to him. He was tall and rugged with blond hair that was always perfectly tousled, eyes the color of whiskey that smoldered as they seemed to look into your soul, and a smile that could make the Divine weak in the knees. Cullen was so different than any man she'd ever seen, and yet a perfect picture of any knight in shining armor from fairytales. He was beautiful, and try as she might, she could not get her body to hide any outward knowledge of that fact.

The two chatted a bit longer before Vita finished her drink and stood up, "I should probably turn in for the night. We've both got a big day tomorrow. Thanks for the company, Cullen. It was nice...especially after Redcliffe."

Cullen stood as well, gently taking her mug from her, "Vita, you work so much harder than any of the rest of us and get half the credit it seems." He walked their empty mugs over to the bar and set them down before returning to her, "you deserve to take a break...I- I'm glad I could give you that today." Motioning for her to lead the way to the door, he paused once they'd reached it, "I'm here any time you need something. I hope you'll remember that." Cullen pushed a stray hair out of her face, and paused to trace his thumb along her cheekbone. Vita could feel herself moving closer to him as her arms started to make their way around him and his started to circle around her waist. Her eyes closed and she could feel his breath on her face...

" **Oi!** " The pair broke apart as they heard a crash from across the bar. Sera had fallen, her foot stuck in a bucket. Drunkenly, she struggled with the temporary foot prison before falling over sideways, totally asleep. 

The red blush that had instantly filled Vita's cheeks slowly faded to a soft pink before she looked up at Cullen again. He was also blushing and rubbing the back of his neck, "Erm..." He started before clearing his throat, "We should go before she wakes up, yes?" He opened the door once again, and motioned for Vita to go first.

 

The next morning, everyone made the trek out to the breach. It glowed a menacing, ugly green in the sky, and somehow seemed to stare at them with an awesome rage. Vita stared up at it with a mix of determination and fear. She didn't know if Solas' plan would work, but she had to try. She had to hope the extra power of the allied mages would be enough to hep them. Once the mages were positioned, Solas shouted instructions at them while Vita made her way into the center of the massive glow. She could feel the energy the mages were focusing her way, and rising her own energy to match theirs, she pushed further. 

The mark on her hand burned as the magic started to flow through it, and as she threw it towards the sky, bright green light shot forward from her hand. Her magic impaled the breach, and it started to grow and contract. It grew bigger and bigger, looking as though it would burst any moment, and with a final surge from her and the allied mages, the breach finally did burst. She was thrown back from the force and light fell from the sky. Vita's eyes blinked and she saw Cassandra standing above her, hand outstretched, and a worried look on her face. 

Vita took her hand and stood up. The breach was closed. They'd done it. 

 

Back at the camp, however, darkness closed in on Haven. A monster named Corypheus brought with him Red Templars and a dragon that rained destruction down upon them. Vita and her team saved as many of the townspeople as possible, sending them through the secret underground tunnels of the Chantry, while she stayed behind to distract the ancient being. Cullen gave her a worried glance before turning to instruct everyone to follow him, and Vita walked the opposite direction to confront Corypheus. She was able to keep him busy long enough to see the signal from the refugees, her cue to trigger an avalanche. The trebuchet fired onto a peak of freshly fallen mountain snow, and it all began to tumble towards them. Vita ran away from Corypheus and the incoming avalanche as fast as she could, falling into an old cave, and narrowly escaping death. Hours later, she'd made her way out of the cave and found the same mountain path the refugees had trekked earlier. As her limbs began to freeze and slow, she trudged on...she couldn't give up now. Once she'd reached the peak she saw Cassandra, Cullen, and two soldiers running towards her. Vita fell into the snow unconscious. She woke up in a tent a little while later. The members of the war council were yelling at each other, disagreeing on their next move. Stiffly, Vita sat up on her cot and stared at them. Yelling would get them no where...they had to keep moving. Exiting the tent she almost ran into Solas, who had been circling the camp observing the moods and thoughts of the soldiers and refugees. He told her he knew of a place they could go, and after a few days journey, they found themselves at Skyhold. Vita and the war council made their way to the main castle at Skyhold to examine their new base of operations. No one knew where to begin, so for now they decided to take a moment to get settled in before deciding their move. 

Vita roamed the expansive castle and surrounding land. In the courtyard she spied Cullen talking with soldiers, giving them orders to get all the troops organized. making her way down the stone steps, she paused to look at him for a moment. She could see how tired and stressed out he was...almost as though he hadn't slept since Haven. He was still handsome as ever, dare she say even more so with the bit of scruff and stubble that had grown on his jaw in the past few days. On the makeshift table in front on him, he leaned over to look at inventory reports, maps of Skyhold, and even more papers that made Vita go cross eyed when she looked at them...he was constantly doing so much she didn't know how he had any time to eat or sleep. As the last soldier ran off with his orders, Vita walked up beside the table. Cullen's broad shoulders lifted and fell with his breathing, and even under his heavy coat Vita could tell how muscular they were. His eyes were dull and she saw dark circles under them from lack of restful sleep. He was working too hard. 

Leaning on the table, she ducked her head down to try and make eye contact with him, "Do you ever sleep?"

Looking up, he saw her and gave her a small smile, "There's so much to do. The attack at Haven was more detrimental to our numbers than we had originally thought." His gaze turned back to the papers on the table.

"I just wish I could have saved more people." Vita looked at the ground trying to hide the tears from her eyes.

Cullen's eyes got wide with concern, "No, Vita...that's not what I meant." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm sorry...I've been so caught up trying to get everything organized I haven't even thought to ask if you're okay." He put a hand on her small arm, "Are you?"

Vita looked up at him, "The attack at Haven...I'm so glad that you- that so many made it out safely." She put a hand over his and squeezed.

His expression softened and he smiled a bit, "As am I." He dropped his hand. The two stood there awkwardly for a moment unsure of what to say next. As Vita turned to leave, Cullen caught her hand in his, "You stayed behind...you could have..." He let the sentence trail off, unable to finish. The thought alone of her dying was too much to bear. He pulled her closer and allowed himself to embrace her, "I will not allow the events that happened at Haven to happen again...You have my word." Cullen pulled away first, "We will not run from here, Inquisitor." 

Vita smiled as the warmth from his hug continued to wrap around her body, "Why don't you take a break? Let's go get something to eat and take a walk. You've done enough work for the day...it'll all still be there tomorrow." 

He laughed and started to gather all his papers together, "That sounds great. I just have to stop by my quarters first and drop these off. Would you like to join me?"

She smiled up at him and nodded in agreement. The two of them walked across the courtyard and through the gardens to his quarters...the scenic route. Once they'd reached his quarters, he set the papers down in a stack on one side of his desk. The thing was massive. It had to be at least 7 feet long, and another 4 feet wide. Vita gave it a small kick when Cullen was looking.  _Sturdy._ Without realizing it, she let out a snort. Cullen turned around with a confused look on his face.

"Did you say something?" He asked.

Vita's face immediately blushed and shook her head no. "Nice desk."

 

 

 

**I'm sorry if this one is kinda...bad? The writer's block is real, y'all. Anyway, I will update more soon. As always, please leave any feedback and/or kudos!**

 


	3. Cullen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I DO NOT OWN DRAGON AGE OR ITS CHARACTERS**  
> *This is a work of fan made fiction.*
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated. Sorry if my writing is a little shotty...I'm super distracted by the upcoming release of Mass Effect Andromeda. Ugh, I'm so excited.

Cullen and Vita talked over dinner, and during their walk they found themselves stopped on the ramparts overlooking the gardens at Skyhold. A slight wind had picked up, and Cullen noticed Vita try to hide a shiver as a small gust hit them. He grinned as he shrugged off his overcoat and slipped it on her small frame. She jumped a bit, but looked up at him and smiled softly. Cullen's heart did a flip in his chest, and he felt his cheeks get hot. He'd never felt this way about a woman before, especially an elven mage. However, Vita was different than any woman he'd ever met. Not only was she one of the strongest women he'd ever known, but she was definitely the most beautiful. As the sun set behind her, he took an extra moment to study her features. Her face was angular yet soft with high, round cheekbones. She had let her hair all the way down after dinner, and the wind softly blew the faint floral scent of her soap across his nose. She was out of her robes and dressed comfortably in a cotton tunic, bear skin vest, ram skin leggings, and bear skin boots. Cullen could feel the heat on his face spread down through his chest, stomach, and ever further south. He moved closer to her and rested his elbows on the rampart walls.

"I had a great time tonight, Inquisitor." Cullen smiled at her.

"Cullen, you can call me Vita...no need to be so formal. Especially when it's just us." She winked at him and moved closer. Their arms were touching now. 

Cullen's blush got red again and spread further across his face. "Right." He chuckled, "I'm sorry." 

Vita put her head on his shoulder, "It's okay." 

Cullen's nervous swallow was audible, no doubt, but he couldn't deny how perfect he felt like this with her. "Vita, seriously, how have you been?" His hand found its way over hers and he pulled it close, "Haven was troubling for all of us, but you confronted that...thing, and lived to tell the tale." He pulled her somehow closer, "You are strong, resourceful, smart, amazing," he trailed off as she turned her face to look at him, "beautiful..." Their faces were almost touching now. He could see the multiple shades of blue scattered throughout her irises, the soft pink on the tip of her nose from the nip of the wind, the freckles that lightly dusted the bridge of her nose, and her full, wine stained lips that were slightly parted. 

One hand found the side of her face and let the loose tendrils of hair flow freely through his fingers. She leaned slightly into his touch, eyes closed. Cullen savored the feel of her soft skin against his calloused hand. It was like silk. He pulled her body close to his in an embrace similar to earlier. 

Vita allowed herself to enjoy a moment before answering him, "Thank you, Cullen. I'm doing better now." She snuggled into his chest. 

He smiled against the wind, "Good." 

They stood like that a few moments longer. Vita was the first to pull away, and Cullen's hand returned to the side of her face again. He raised his other hand to rest on her hip, and as he felt her arms circle around his back he  _finally_ finally placed his lips on hers. 

The kiss was so worth the wait. Her lips were soft, and she tasted like the wine she'd had at dinner. Cullen deepened the kiss and pushed her up against the rampart walls. He moved so both hands were on her hips and lifted her up onto the ledge. She wrapped her legs around his waist and moved her hands to the back of his head; pulling her body closer to his and deepening the kiss even more.

He needed to be closer to her. Somehow. He craved to feel her skin on his. Cullen picked her up and carried her to his quarters. Once inside the door, his coat fell off her shoulders and hit the floor. Cullen was careful to step over it, and crossed to his desk. He sat her on it, and finally broke away.

Cullen pushed hair out of her face and tucked it gently behind her ears. She smiled up at him as he traced his thumb across her cheekbone and down the side of her face. 

"I'm sorry if that was sudden." Cullen said softly. 

"Nothing to apologize for, Cullen." She was still smiling, "it was amazing." 

He let his forehead rest against hers, "I thought so too." 

Vita reached out and grabbed one of his hands, "Cullen, I care about you...a lot. I want to be with you, but if you don't feel the same I can't continue-"

He cut her off with a hard kiss. His hands rested on her hips, and he gently pushed her back onto the desk. Once she was all the way laid down, he remained overtop of her, "I want to be with you too. I can't deny my feelings anymore. You make me absolutely crazy. I can't think when you're around, you haunt my dreams, you've made my life exponentially more wonderful by simply existing and I want to see how much more wonderful it could be with you by my side. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met..." He paused to kiss her forehead, "I think you are spectacular, and I want to spend as much time as possible showing you just how much you mean to me." He sank down and laid next to her on the desk. She snuggled up in the crook of his arm and sighed contently. One hand landed on his chest and he placed one of his own over hers. He left one more soft kiss on the top of her head before closing his eyes. 

They slept just like that on top of his desk for the rest of the night, and Cullen couldn't have asked for a better nights sleep. 


End file.
